Murderer still at large

Friday

Jul 12, 2013 at 11:50 AMJul 12, 2013 at 11:55 AM

By Ami RidlingDaily News Staff Writer

YREKA – Yreka Police Department officers are questioning persons of interest in connection with the apparent homicide victim discovered in the north Yreka Creek area on Tuesday morning, though no arrests have been made, stated Lt. Dave Gamache. The body has been transported to the Siskiyou County Coroner’s Office for identification and a ruling on the cause of death.

According to Gamache, authorities have tentatively identified the male victim, though his name is not being released until next-of-kin has been notified.

While the coroner has not determined that the victim was murdered, police chief Brian Bowles said authorities believe he was slain. Bowles declined to disclose details about the investigation, though he noted that it appeared the victim had been deceased for a short period of time when the body was discovered.

The police department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice, investigated the crime scene in the 1000 block of Deer Creek Way on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Gamache said officials spent much of Thursday sifting through evidence and questioning potential suspects.

It is the second homicide victim to be discovered in the north Yreka Creek area over the past year, though Bowles said the cases do not appear to be connected. The skeletal remains of Christopher Scott Schafer, a 43-year-old transient, were recovered from the creek in the vicinity of the 1000 block of Deer Creek Way in November 2012. The investigation of that homicide remains active; no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information about either case is urged to contact Yreka Police Department detective Nick Friden at 841-2313 or 841-2300.